Operation of processing devices such as servers, computers etc. of complex systems is often monitored by a central software application. The central software application generates alert messages when particular system processing devices are not reachable, are not performing correctly, or have generated errors. This causes the problem of generation of false alert messages during planned maintenance of system processing devices when the devices are not available. Known systems typically address the problem of generation of false alert messages by user manual deletion of data identifying a processing device that is undergoing maintenance from a record identifying processing devices to be monitored by the central monitoring application. Another known system (maintenance application) allows a single monitored MICROSOFT WINDOWS® application to be placed into a maintenance mode by user manual command within a central monitoring application.
The deletion of device identifier data from a record identifying processing devices to be monitored by a central monitoring application, is a time consuming burdensome process, as is re-adding the identifier data after maintenance. Also there is a risk of deleting a device identifier of a wrong device and re-adding incorrect data after maintenance as well as of failing to re-add the data at all. Known systems further fail to comprehensively accommodate different types of processing devices including, network devices, Unix, VMS, Novell compatible devices and other types of objects (e.g., executable applications). One known system is restricted to enabling WINDOWS® devices to be modified by disallowing maintenance mode changes for newly installed devices. Further known systems involve pre-scheduling of maintenance times and the transition to maintenance mode and back to monitored mode is performed in response to user manual interaction. Known systems also require performance of error checking and validation of processing devices to ensure the devices exist and are correctly identified. These known systems also require the creation of an audit trail to record identification data of a user that input the maintenance mode times, for example. Also maintenance mode of known systems is typically limited to accommodate a single processing device and involves installation of a maintenance routine on all processing devices that are to be placed into maintenance mode. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and related problems.